Keeping your cool

One of the things we have discovered around here is that we are not getting any younger, and that working on the computer can produce some weird aches and pains.

Last summer, my daughter developed a problem with her shoulder which was classed a repetitive strain injury. She needed physiotherapy and part of her healing involved having to ice her shoulder for 20 minutes at a time all day long. It's not so easy to do. The ice pack kept slipping. So, Mamma to the rescue.

Measure the flannel

I made her a cold quilt. I also made her college room mate a cold quilt. Then, I developed an RSI from sewing :-( Then I made myself a cold quilt.It's easy. Here's how:
Find some reusable hot/cold gel packs.

Mine are from Shoppers Drug Mart and measure 5" wide by 10" tall. The long cold quilt (for shoulders/back) uses four of these. The smaller headache version uses two or three.

Measure some good-quality flannel two accommodate your cold packs.

Make a pocket

You will need two pieces.
With right sides together, sew the two short, and one long sides together. Turn right side out. pressing out corners.
Measure the width of the cold pack, and the top stitch a pocket for each one.
Slip the cold pack into the pocket. Slip stitch the pocket closed, encasing the cold pack.
Place in the freezer.
I store ours in a plastic bin so I know where they are.

The big challenge is making sure they go back in the freezer so they are ready to soothe aches and pains. The flannel is soft and feels weirdly comfortable, even when cold.
If you need to wash your cold quilt, you can do so by hand in warm soapy water, and allow to dry outside completely on the line or clothes drying rack.

Slip the gel packs into the pockets

Holy guacamole! It's actually warm outside...

Summer in a bowl!

It's a fine fair day here in Southern Ontario, and avacadoes are three for $5 at my local supermarket. This means two things: I am making guacamole and dreaming about warmer weather on the back deck at the cottage. That where I like to sit and stitch, watching the lake go by.
Until then, there's guacamole. I like to use this as a dip or as a filling for soft flour taco wrap sandwiches.
I use a modified version of Eva Longoria's recipe -- her version has a lot of cilantro in it and I am not a fan. Make sure you mix this up in a plastic bowl because the tomatoes can react to metals.

Good Golly Guacamole

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 jalepeno pepper, minced and seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, finely minced
2 tomatoes seeded and diced
2-3 avacadoes, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, finely minced

In a large plastic mixing bowl, dissolve the sea salt in the lemon juice. Add the minced pepper, the chopped garlic, the onions, the tomatoes. Stir it up, and then add the avacadoes. I don't bother with mashing them up, the guacamole looks prettier chunky. Stir the mixture up and add the cilantro. Transfer it to a large plastic lidded container and refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to blend. This will keep for about a week. Scoop it up with taco chips, or pile it onto rice cakes for lunch. Yum!
 

Froggy frolics

Fonzie and friend

I joined a Tilda facebook group a while back.
This year, we are doing a series of monthly challenges. I wasn't able to do January's "something green" challenge, but this month, it was all about Tilda's animals. Thank goodness it was a leap year! I needed that extra day to finish it and post it to the group page.
In honour of LEAP YEAR (get it?), I got busy and did a frog and his dragonfly friend from Crafting Tilda's Friends.

I attached a magnet to the dragonfly -- actually, I made three. When the warm weather makes an appearance, I plan to do a new wreath for our front door. The dragonflies will stick onto the steel door and "fly" around the wreath.
In the meantime, the Fonzie (as I call him) and his buddy can hang out on this little garden bench until Spring comes calling.

Have a great February 29!

After four months of waiting, a bit of my package arrives

Charmed, and yet disappointed

In November of last year, I found a North American source for Tilda products. I placed an order for a charm pack, some little resin crowns and some wooden bobbins. Then, I waited. For four months. I called. They said the shipment was hung up in customs. They said this for three months. THREE.
I understand that international customs do not take into account the creative wants and needs of crafters and needle workers. I get it.
However, if a business concern promises product on a website, seems to process an order on said web site, and then sends a confirmation e-mail regarding said shipment, one tends to believe the shipment will arrive.
I am very happy with my little fabric squares, which cost a ton of money. I am not happy with the "company" who said they are a North American source for Tilda.
They are not. They are a source of frustration and anger. I did not get my little crowns or wooden bobbins -- and I never will. They are listed as 'out of stock'. Apparently, they were not in stock when I placed my order. They were somewhere in Europe -- where, apparently, they will remain. There was no further explanation, except to say that I have a credit. I don't know that I want anything they have. I am now convinced I won't get what I want, and I won't be advised about the order unless I nag excessively.
So deep is my disgust I won't even name the business, that would just encourage them. From now on, I will rely on etsy and ebay sellers for hard-to-find items.
I think its time we helped the little guys. Who's with me?

Things to do in Spring...

Sew, a needle pulling thread...

At the end of April of this year, I will be presenting a mini workshop on behalf of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine at the CreativFestival in Toronto.
This is a large event that features workshops on all kinds of needle arts, scrap booking, card making and knitting, as well as a whole lot of shopping for all kinds of notions, fabrics and supplies.
On the Saturday of the weekend show, I will be showing people how to make a felt needle book. It's kind of exciting and scary all at once.
I hope everyone is nice, that we all have fun, and that sometime between now and then I develop a proper teaching style.
In the coming weeks, I will be getting the needle book kits ready and making sure I have all the supplies the participants will need. Wish me luck!

iFinished!

A place for everything...

... everything in its place

It took FOREVER, but I finally finished my iPad purse.
My iPad has a hard shell leather protective sleeve, but I had nothing suitable to tote around the iPad and all its accessories. I have totes galore, but they are all too large and everything seemed to be swimming around and tangling up. The only workable solution was to create a purse to keep it all together.
I wanted it to be fun and funky, but also sort of cute and sweet. The ideas formed slowly in my mind. They came together even more slowly in real life -- at the cutting table and at the sewing machine.
This happens to me all the time. When I want something to be special, I take ages to get it done. I fear making a mess of things, especially once I have chosen special fabrics and embellishments. I considered doing a mock up in fabrics that are not special in any way, but then I decided I would never take the same time and care if the good stuff wasn't on the line.  That's how I roll, baby ...

Details, details ...

The result of this month-long process is an iPad purse I think Lucy Ricardo would have used if Lucy had the miracle of tablet computing when she and Ethel were cooking up their schemes. Imagine the possibilities of their hijinks if the Internet had been informing their plans. The mind boggles.
I stamped What I Love Today on the label -- which is embellished with a Cath Kidston strawberry cotton duck applique. I chose the sentiment because the iPad has opened up a whole world of new creative thought for me. The ideas can literally change day to day -- as do my favourites.
This technology-fueled fickleness might drive some people to distraction, but I like to think of it all as possibilities, not necessarily a to-do list. I am so happy to have finished this purse. Now I have a place for everything, and everything in its cute little place.

Pancake Tuesday!

 

 

It's Mardi Gras -- and tonight's dinner was all about yummy!